U.S. patent number 6,760,727 [Application Number 09/467,378] was granted by the patent office on 2004-07-06 for system for customer contact information management and methods for using same.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Convergys CMG Utah, Inc.. Invention is credited to Shawn Anderson, Keric P. Donnelly, Aaron Jenkins, Kim A. Schroeder, Greyson Smith.
United States Patent |
6,760,727 |
Schroeder , et al. |
July 6, 2004 |
System for customer contact information management and methods for
using same
Abstract
A system and method for providing complete customer contact
management across a variety of customer contact channels so that
businesses, or clients (i.e., those businesses using the services
of the system and method of the present invention), can manage and
develop relationships with their customers, to increase sales and
enhance business productivity. In addition, clients can monitor
customer's preferences for products or services, so that the client
can develop new products and services or modify existing products
and services to meet the demand of the customers. An improved
system retrieves customer contact information from a plurality of
contact channels, storing that information, and performing
subsequent processes, such as making the data available to the
clients in the form of, for example, reports.
Inventors: |
Schroeder; Kim A. (Murray,
UT), Jenkins; Aaron (Kaysville, UT), Donnelly; Keric
P. (Salt Lake City, UT), Smith; Greyson (SLC, UT),
Anderson; Shawn (Draper, UT) |
Assignee: |
Convergys CMG Utah, Inc. (South
Jordon, UT)
|
Family
ID: |
26844005 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/467,378 |
Filed: |
December 21, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1; 707/999.001;
707/999.009; 707/999.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q
30/02 (20130101); H04M 3/5191 (20130101); H04M
3/5175 (20130101); Y10S 707/99931 (20130101); Y10S
707/99939 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06Q
30/00 (20060101); H04M 3/51 (20060101); H04M
3/50 (20060101); G06F 017/30 () |
Field of
Search: |
;707/1-10,100-104.1,200 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Robinson; Greta
Assistant Examiner: Black; Linh
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Frost Brown Todd LLC
Parent Case Text
The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) to provisional application No. 60/146,515, filed Jul.
30, 1999, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A contact information management system comprising: a first
means for receiving contact information from a first contact
channel; a second means for receiving contact information from a
second contact channel, wherein said second contact channel is
different from said first contact channel; a first database
configured to automatically receive the contact information from
said first and said second means for receiving contact information;
a second database configured to receive the contact information
from said first database; and a means for transferring the contact
information from said first database to said second database.
2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising: a third means
for receiving contact information from a third contact channel.
3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said third contact
channel is different from said first contact channel.
4. A system according to claim 2, wherein said third contact
channel is different from said second contact channel.
5. A system according to claim 2, wherein said third contact
channel is different from said first contact channel and said
second contact channel.
6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said first means
comprises an electronic communications server.
7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said electronic
communications server is an electronic message server.
8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said electronic message
server comprises an electronic mail message having an identifier
for identifying an individual associated with the electronic mail
message.
9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the identifier comprises
an electronic mail address.
10. A system according to claim 6, wherein said electronic
communications server is a world wide web server.
11. A system according to claim 6, wherein said second means
comprises a call center.
12. A system according to claim 2, wherein said first means
comprises an electronic message server, said second means comprises
a world wide web server, and said third means comprises a call
center.
13. A system according to claim 1, further comprising: means for
reporting at least a portion of the contact information received in
said second database to a client coupled to said second
database.
14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said client is coupled
to said second database via a communication link.
15. A system according to claim 14, wherein said communication link
is configured to transmit information from a third database
associated with said client to said first database.
16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said third database
associated with said client is remote from said first database.
17. A system according to claim 16, wherein said communication link
comprises a TCP/IP connection through a public computer
network.
18. A contact information management system comprising: a first
means for receiving contact information from a first contact
channel; a second means for receiving contact information from a
second contact channel, wherein said second contact channel is
different from said first contact channel; a first database
configured to receive the contact information from said first and
said second means for receiving contact information and to allow a
search of the contact information in said first database; a second
database configured to receive the contact information from said
first database; and a means for transferring the contact
information from said first database to said second database.
19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the contact information
in said first database can be searched using one of a criteria
selected from the group consisting of a contact identification
number, a first name, a last name, a business name, an address, a
phone number, a fax number, and an electronic mail address.
20. A contact information management system comprising: a first
means for receiving contact information from a first contact
channel; a second means for receiving contact information from a
second contact channel, wherein said second contact channel is
different from said first contact channel; a first database
configured to receive the contact information from said first and
said second means for receiving contact information; a second
database configured to receive the contact information from said
first database; and a means for transferring the contact
information in said first database to said second database;
wherein said means is configured to automatically forward the
contact information from said first database to said second
database on a periodic schedule.
21. A system according to claim 20, wherein said first database is
configured to initiate said means for transferring.
22. A contact information management system comprising: a first
means for receiving contact information from a first contact
channel; a second means for receiving contact information from a
second contact channel, wherein said second contact channel is
different from said first contact channel; a first database
configured to receive the contact information from said first and
said second means for receiving contact information; a second
database configured to receive the contact information from said
first database; and a means for transferring the contact
information in said first database to said second database;
wherein said means for transferring the contact information in said
first database to said second database is configured to
automatically pull the contact information from said first database
to said second database on a periodic schedule.
23. A system according to claim 22, wherein said second database is
configured to initiate said means for transferring.
24. A system according to claim 2, wherein said first database is
configured to receive the contact information from said first
means, said second means, and said third means.
25. A system according to claim 1, wherein said first means, said
second means, said first database, and said second database are
connected via a local area network.
26. A system according to claim 25, wherein said local area network
utilizes TCP/IP.
27. A method for managing contact information comprising: receiving
contact information from a first contact channel; receiving contact
information from a second contact channel; storing the contact
information from the first contact channel and the second contact
channel in a first database; and automatically transferring the
contact information stored in the first database to a second
database.
28. A method according to claim 27, further comprising: receiving
contact information from a third contact channel.
29. A method according to claim 27, further comprising: reporting
at least a portion of the contact information stored in the second
database to a client system coupled to the second database.
30. A method according to claim 27, further comprising:
transmitting contact information from a third database associated
with a client system to the first database over a communication
link, wherein the communication link is coupled between the third
database associated with the client system and the first
database.
31. A method for managing contact information comprising: receiving
contact information from a first contact channel; receiving contact
information from a second contact channel; storing the contact
information from the first contact channel and the second contact
channel in a first database; transferring the contact information
stored in the first database to a second database; and configuring
the contact information stored in the first database such that a
search of the contact information can be conducted.
32. A method for managing contact information comprising: receiving
contact information from a first contact channel; receiving contact
information from a second contact channel; storing the contact
information from the first contact channel and the second contact
channel in a first database; and transferring the contact
information stored in the first database to a second database;
wherein said transferring step is carried out by automatically
forwarding the contact information from the first database to the
second database on a periodic schedule.
33. A method for managing contact information comprising: receiving
contact information from a first contact channel; receiving contact
information from a second contact channel; storing the contact
information from the first contact channel and the second contact
channel in a first database; and transferring the contact
information stored in the first database to a second database;
wherein said transferring step is carried out by automatically
pulling the contact information from the first database to the
second database on a periodic schedule.
34. A system for managing contact information comprising: a memory
device having embodied therein program code; and a processor in
communication with said memory device, said processor configured by
said program code for receiving contact information from a first
contact channel; receiving contact information from a second
contact channel; storing the contact information from the first
contact channel and the second contact channel in a first database;
and transferring the contact information stored in the first
database to a second database; wherein said processor is further
configured for configuring the contact information stored in the
first database such that a search of the contact information can be
conducted.
35. A system according to claim 34, wherein said processor is
further configured for receiving contact information from a third
contact channel.
36. A system according to claim 34, wherein said processor is
further configured for reporting at least a portion of the contact
information stored in the second database to a client system
coupled to the second database.
37. A system according to claim 34, wherein said processor is
further configured for transmitting contact information from a
third database associated with a client system to the first
database over a communication link, wherein the communication link
is coupled between the third database associated with the client
system and the first database.
38. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium
having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a
processor in a computer system to facilitate managing contact
information, said computer program logic comprising: first
receiving means for enabling the processor to receive contact
information from a first contact channel; second receiving means
for enabling the processor to receive contact information from a
second contact channel; storing means for enabling the processor to
store the contact information from the first contact channel and
the second contact channel in a first database; transferring means
for enabling the processor to transfer the contact information
stored in the first database to a second database; and configuring
means for enabling the processor to configure the contact
information stored in the first database such that a search of the
contact information can be conducted.
39. A computer program product according to claim 38, wherein said
computer program logic further comprises: third receiving means for
enabling the processor to receive contact information from a third
contact channel.
40. A computer program product according to claim 38, wherein said
computer program logic further comprises: reporting means for
enabling the processor to report at least a portion of the contact
information stored in the second database to a client system
coupled to the second database.
41. A computer program product according to claim 38, wherein said
computer program logic further comprises: transmitting means for
enabling the processor to transmit contact information from a third
database associated with a client system to the first database over
a communication link, wherein the communication link is coupled
between the third database associated with the client system and
the first database.
42. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium
having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a
processor in a computer system to facilitate management of contact
information, said computer program logic comprising: first
receiving means for enabling the processor to receive contact
information at a server from a first contact channel; second
receiving means for enabling the processor to receive contact
information at a call center from a second contact channel;
receiving means for enabling the processor to receive the contact
information from the server and the call center in a first
database; receiving means for enabling the processor to receive the
contact information received in the first database into a second
database; and storing means for enabling the processor to store the
contact information in the second database in a predetermined
format.
43. A contact information system, comprising: an electronic
communications server configured to receive electronic
communications contact information from a contact channel; a first
database in data communication with said electronic communications
server; a second database in data communication with said first
database; and a computer program configured for transmitting the
electronic communications contact information from said electronic
communications server to said first database; formatting the
electronic communications contact information in said first
database such that a search of the contact information can be
conducted; and transferring the electronic communications contact
information from said first database to said second database.
44. A system according to claim 43, wherein said second database
comprises the electronic communications contact information and at
least one additional type of contact information.
45. A system according to claim 44, wherein the at least one
additional type of contact information comprises telephone
communications contact information.
46. A system according to claim 43, wherein the electronic
communications contact information comprises an electronic mail
message.
47. A system according to claim 43, wherein the electronic
communications contact information comprises an electronic mail
message submitted via a world wide web connection.
48. A system according to claim 43, wherein the electronic
communications contact information comprises an internet
communication submitted via a world wide web connection.
49. A method for managing contact information, the method
comprising: receiving contact information in a first database;
transferring the contact information to a second database;
formatting the contact information in the second database;
transferring the contact information from the second database to a
third database, wherein the third database comprises at least one
additional type of contact information and transferring the contact
information from the third database to a fourth database wherein
the fourth database is configured for generating a plurality of
reports.
50. A method according to claim 49, wherein the contact information
comprises an electronic mail message.
51. A method according to claim 49, wherein the contact information
comprises an electronic mail message submitted via a world wide web
connection.
52. A method according to claim 49, wherein the contact information
comprises an internet communication submitted via a world wide web
connection.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to managing customer
contact information. Particularly, the present invention relates to
a contact information management system for receiving and reporting
customer contact information received from a plurality of customer
contact sources, such as, but not limited to, hard copy
correspondence, telephone, facsimile, the Internet, or electronic
messages. More particularly, the present invention relates to
receiving, storing, managing, and tracking customer contact
information, and responding to customers' queries about the contact
information or other products or services.
2. Related Art
Customer contact management, including conventional customer
service functions, has traditionally been provided in two forms:
"in-house," wherein the company performs customer service itself,
and outsourced customer service operations, wherein an entity other
than the company provides customer service functionality to the
company. Conventional outsourced customer management operations
have generally provided such services as outsourced telemarketing
and traditional customer service operations between customers and
clients. "Clients" referring to those companies employing the
outsource-based customer management operations.
Conventional outsourced customer service operations have focused
predominantly upon the management of call center facilities. With
the growth of new modes of communication between customers and
clients, such as the Internet and electronic mail (email)
communications, the utility of such call center facilities has
become limited. Moreover, conventional systems have not provided,
for example, a convenient means by which to accumulate, store, and
report customer contact information, which is received via the
various modes of communication, to clients in an efficient and
user-friendly manner.
Moreover, conventional systems have not been successful in
providing a cost-efficient and simple method for overall management
of the contact information received from a variety of contact
sources, such as telephone, e-mail, facsimile, hard-copy
correspondence, and Internet-based contacts. Moreover, these
attempts have not been successful in providing automated processes
for handling the contact information which has resulted in either
the same, or higher, number of agents required to fulfill the needs
of the customer contact management system.
There is a need for a system and method that provides a complete
history of customer contact from all customer contact channels.
There is a further need to allow agents to be able to access the
complete customer contact information history when in contact with
a customer via any one of the customer contact channels. There is
yet another need to allow agents to update the contact history
during and after a contact without being interrupted by another
contact. There is a further need to allow the contact information
history to automatically update either during or after a contact.
An additional need exists for an integrated system and method for
reporting the complete customer contact history and the work
performance of agents to a client. A need also exists for an
integrated system and method for monitoring the performance of
agents on customer contacts received via all modes of
communication. In addition, a need exists for an agent to be able
to simultaneously log on to multiple subsystems of a communication
system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a system and method that
substantially obviates one or more of the limitations and
disadvantages of the described prior systems.
The present invention relates to a contact information management
system. In one aspect, the system includes a first means for
receiving contact information from a first contact channel and a
second means for receiving contact information from a second
contact channel. The second contact channel is preferably different
from the first contact channel. A first database is also included
and is configured to receive the contact information from the first
and the second means for receiving contact information. A second
database is also included and is configured to receive the contact
information from the first database. Also included is a means for
transferring the contact information from the first database to the
second database.
The present invention also relates to a method for managing contact
information. In one aspect, the method includes receiving contact
information from a first contact channel, receiving contact
information from a second contact channel, storing the contact
information from the first contact channel and the second contact
channel in a first database, and transferring the contact
information stored in the first database to a second database.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a system for
managing contact information. The system includes a memory device
having embodied therein program code and a processor in
communication with the memory device. The processor is preferably
configured by the program code for receiving contact information
from a first contact channel, receiving contact information from a
second contact channel, storing the contact information from the
first contact channel and the second contact channel in a first
database, and transferring the contact information stored in the
first database to a second database.
The present invention also relates to a computer program product
including a computer useable medium having computer program logic
recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system to
facilitate managing contact information. The computer program logic
includes: first receiving means for enabling the processor to
receive contact information from a first contact channel; second
receiving means for enabling the processor to receive contact
information from a second contact channel; storing means for
enabling the processor to store the contact information from the
first contact channel and the second contact channel in a first
database; and transferring means for enabling the processor to
transfer the contact information stored in the first database to a
second database.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a system for
receiving at least two types of contact information. The system
includes a server for receiving contact information from a first
contact channel. The system also includes a call center for
receiving contact information from a second contact channel and a
first database configured to receive the contact information from
the server and the call center.
The present invention also relates to a method for receiving at
least two types of contact information. The method includes
receiving contact information at a server from a first contact
channel and receiving contact information at a call center from a
second contact channel. The method also includes receiving the
contact information from the server and the call center in a first
database.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a system for
receiving at least two types of contact information. The system
includes a memory device having embodied therein program code and a
processor in communication with the memory device. The processor is
preferably configured by the program code for receiving contact
information at a server from a first contact channel, receiving
contact information at a call center from a second contact channel,
and receiving the contact information from the server and the call
center in a first database.
The present invention also relates to a computer program product
comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic
recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system to
facilitate management of contact information. The computer program
logic includes: first receiving means for enabling the processor to
receive contact information at a server from a first contact
channel; second receiving means for enabling the processor to
receive contact information at a call center from a second contact
channel; and receiving means for enabling the processor to receive
the contact information from the server and the call center in a
first database.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a contact
information system. The system includes an electronic
communications server configured to receive electronic
communications contact information from a contact channel. The
system also includes a first database in data communication with
the electronic communications server and a second database in data
communication with the first database. Also included is a computer
program configured for transmitting the electronic communications
contact information from the electronic communications server to
the first database; formatting the electronic communications
contact information in the first database; and transferring the
electronic communications contact information from the first
database to the second database.
The present invention also relates to a method for receiving
electronic communications contact information from a contact
channel. The method includes transmitting the electronic
communications contact information from an electronic
communications server to a first database and formatting the
electronic communications contact information in the first
database. The method also includes transferring the electronic
communications contact information from the first database to a
second database.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a computer
program product comprising a computer useable medium having
computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in
a computer system to manage electronic communications contact
information. The computer program logic includes: transmitting
means for enabling the processor to transmit the electronic
communications contact information from an electronic
communications server to a first database; formatting means for
enabling the processor to format the electronic communications
contact information in the first database; and transferring means
for enabling the processor to transfer the electronic
communications contact information from the first database to a
second database.
The present invention also relates to a system for receiving
electronic communications contact information from a contact
channel. The system includes a memory device having embodied
therein program code and a processor in communication with the
memory device. The processor is preferably configured by the
program code for transmitting the electronic communications contact
information from an electronic communications server to a first
database, formatting the electronic communications contact
information in the first database, and transferring the electronic
communications contact information from the first database to a
second database.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a
communications system. The system includes a data link configured
to connect the communications system to a contact channel
associated with the communications system. The system also includes
a first database configured to receive telephone communications
contact information from the contact channel. Also included is a
computer program configured for formatting the telephone
communications contact information in the first database and
transferring the telephone communications contact information from
the first database to a second database, wherein the second
database comprises the telephone communications contact information
and at least one additional type of contact information.
The present invention also relates to a method for managing contact
information. The method includes: receiving contact information in
a first database; transferring the contact information to a second
database; formatting the contact information in the second
database; and transferring the contact information from the second
database to a third database, wherein the third database comprises
at least one additional type of contact information.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a
communications system for receiving at least two types of contacts.
The system includes an agent computer coupled to a database, the
database configured for receiving the at least two types of
contacts and an agent telephone coupled to the agent computer. Also
included is a computer program including a graphical user
interface, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to
enable an agent to control the agent telephone through the
graphical user interface.
The present invention also relates to a system for handling calls
to a call center. The system includes an agent telephone configured
to be used by an agent to answer a call and an agent terminal
adapted to display information regarding a current call, the agent
terminal including an input device. Also included is a computer
program operating to control the agent terminal, the computer
program configured to place the agent terminal and the agent
telephone in an operating mode of a not ready to receive a new call
mode or a ready to receive a new call mode.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for
handling calls to a call center. The method includes displaying
information regarding a current one of the calls on an agent
terminal including an input device, and placing the agent terminal
and an agent telephone in an operating mode which is a not ready to
receive a new call mode or a ready to receive a new call mode. The
method further includes allowing the input device to be responsive
to an input to thereby control the operating mode. The method also
includes routing a new call to the agent terminal and the agent
telephone when the agent terminal and the agent telephone are in
the ready to receive a new call mode.
The present invention also relates to a system for handling calls
to a call center. The system includes a memory device having
embodied therein program code and a processor in communication with
the memory device. The processor is preferably configured by the
program code for displaying information regarding a current one of
the plurality of calls on an agent terminal including an input
device, and placing the agent terminal and an agent telephone in an
operating mode which is a not ready to receive a new call mode or a
ready to receive a new call mode. The processor is further
configured for allowing the input device to be responsive to an
input to thereby control the operating mode and routing a new call
to the agent terminal and the agent telephone when the agent
terminal and the agent telephone are in the ready to receive a new
call mode.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a computer
program product comprising a computer useable medium having
computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in
a computer system to manage handling a plurality of calls to a call
center. The computer program logic includes: displaying means for
enabling the processor to display information regarding a current
one of the plurality of calls on an agent terminal including an
input device; and placing means for enabling the processor to place
the agent terminal and an agent telephone in an operating mode
which is a not ready to receive a new call mode or a ready to
receive a new call mode; allowing means for enabling the processor
to allow the input device to be responsive to an input to thereby
control the operating mode; and routing means for enabling the
processor to route a new call to the agent terminal and agent
telephone when the agent terminal and the agent telephone are in
the ready to receive a new call mode.
The present invention also relates to a reporting system configured
for use in a customer communications system. The system includes a
computer system configured to collect contact information from at
least two customer contact channels and to store the contact
information in a first database. The system also includes a second
database in communication with the first database, the second
database configured to store the contact information received by
the computer system in the first database. The system also includes
a third database in communication with the second database. The
third database is preferably configured to allow reports to be
generated based on the contact information in the second
database.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for
reporting contact information obtained from at least two types of
customer contact channels. The method includes collecting the
contact information and automatically storing the contact
information. The method further includes enabling a client system
to query the contact information and generating a report based on
the contact information.
The present invention also relates to a system for reporting
contact information obtained from at least two types of customer
contact channels. The system includes a memory device having
embodied therein program code and a processor in communication with
the memory device. The processor is configured by the program code
for collecting the contact information and automatically storing
the contact information. The processor is further configured for
enabling a client system to query the contact information and
generating a report based on the contact information.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a computer
program product comprising a computer useable medium having
computer program logic recorded thereon for reporting contact
information obtained from at least two types of customer contact
channels. The computer program logic includes: collecting means for
enabling the processor to collect the contact information;
automatically storing means for enabling the processor to
automatically store the contact information; enabling means for
enabling the processor to enable a client system to query the
contact information; and generating means for enabling the
processor to generate a report based on the contact
information.
The present invention also relates to a method for receiving
contact information obtained from at least two types of customer
contact channels. The method includes accumulating the contact
information in a first database at periodic intervals and
transferring the contact information to a second database
associated with the first database. The method further includes
formatting the contact information in the second database to
produce formatted contact information and transferring the
formatted contact information from the second database to a third
database, so that the third database includes contact information
collected from the at least two types of contact channels.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a system for
collecting contact information obtained from at least two types of
contact channels. The system includes a memory device having
embodied therein program code and a processor in communication with
the memory device. The processor is configured for accumulating the
contact information in a first database at periodic intervals and
transferring the contact information to a second database
associated with the first database. The processor is further
configured for: formatting the contact information in the second
database to produce formatted contact information and transferring
the formatted contact information from the second database to a
third database, so that the third database comprises contact
information obtained from at least two types of contact
channels.
The present invention also relates to a computer program product
comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic
recorded thereon for collecting contact information obtained from
at least two types of contact channels. The computer program logic
includes: accumulating means for enabling the processor to
accumulate contact information in a first database at periodic
intervals; transferring means for enabling the processor to
transfer the contact information to a second database associated
with the first database; formatting means for enabling the
processor to format the contact information in the second database
to produce formatted contact information; and transferring means
for enabling the processor to transfer the formatted contact
information from the second database to a third database, so that
the third database comprises the contact information obtained from
at least two types of contact channels.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for
reporting customer contact information from a plurality of customer
contact channels. The method includes accumulating the customer
contact information received from the plurality of customer contact
channels and rearranging the customer contact information into a
predetermined format to produce formatted customer contact
information. The method also includes transferring the formatted
customer contact information to a first memory storage area and
extracting the customer contact information from the first memory
storage area to produce extracted customer contact information.
The present invention also relates to a system for reporting
customer contact information from a plurality of customer contact
channels. The system includes a memory device having embodied
therein information relating to customer contacts and a processor
in communication with the memory device. The processor is
configured for accumulating the customer contact information
received from the plurality of customer contact channels and
rearranging the customer contact information into a predetermined
format to produce formatted customer contact information. The
processor is further configured for transferring the customer
contact information to a first memory storage area and extracting
the customer contact information from the first memory storage area
to produce extracted customer contact information.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a computer
program product including a computer useable medium having computer
program logic recorded thereon for reporting customer contact
information from a plurality of customer contact channels. The
computer program logic including: accumulating means for enabling
the processor to accumulate the customer contact information
received from the plurality of customer contact channels;
rearranging means for enabling the processor to rearrange the
customer contact information into a predetermined format to produce
formatted customer contact information; transferring means for
enabling the processor to transfer the formatted customer contact
information to a first memory storage area; extracting means for
enabling the processor to extract the customer contact information
from the first memory storage area to produce extracted customer
contact information; and generating means for enabling the
processor to generate a report based on the customer contact
information.
The present invention also relates to a method for enabling an
agent to log onto a customer service system where the customer
service system comprises a plurality of subsystems, each having a
separate log on procedure. The method includes prompting an agent
at an agent terminal for login data. The method further includes
receiving the login data entered by the agent and transmitting the
login data to each of the plurality of subsystems, whereby the
agent is logged on to each of the plurality of subsystems.
FEATURES AND ADVANTAGES
The invention provides an efficient and simple method and system
for managing customer contact information. Particularly, the
invention provides a means for receiving and reporting the complete
history of customer contacts from a plurality of customer contact
channels or sources.
The invention also allows agents the ability to access the complete
customer contact information history while in contact with a
customer via any one of the customer contact channels.
An advantage of the present invention is that agents can update the
contact information history during and after a contact with a
customer without being interrupted by another contact.
Alternatively, the invention allows the contact information history
to automatically update either during or after a contact with a
customer.
An additional advantage of the present invention is that it
provides an integrated system and method for reporting the complete
customer contact history and the work performance of agents to a
client. The integrated system and method can also be used for
monitoring the performance of agents on all customer contact
channels.
A further advantage of the present invention is that an agent can
simultaneously log onto multiple subsystems of the communication
system of the present invention.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set
forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent
from the description, or may be learned in practice of the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute
a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the
invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the
features, advantages, and principles of the invention.
FIG. 1a illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a customer contact
information management system of the present invention;
FIG. 1b illustrates an exemplary data format of an exemplary
staging table of the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a call center of the
present invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a call center of
the present invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary call flow diagram of the present
invention;
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary data flow diagram of the present
invention;
FIG. 6 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a customer
contact information management system of the present invention;
FIG. 7 illustrates is a diagram of an exemplary architecture of an
electronic message management system of the present invention;
FIG. 8a illustrates an exemplary architecture of an exemplary
embodiment of a reporting system and tracking system of the present
invention;
FIG. 8b illustrates an exemplary data structure associated with an
exemplary database of the present invention;
FIG. 8c illustrates a second exemplary data structure associated
with an exemplary database of the present invention;
FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary architecture of an exemplary
embodiment of a reporting system of the present invention;
FIGS. 10-17 are exemplary screen shots of an exemplary graphical
user interface suitable for use in the present invention;
FIG. 18 is a diagram of an exemplary computer system suitable for
use in the present invention; and
FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface suitable
for controlling an agent telephone in the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred
embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in
the accompanying drawings. The exemplary embodiment of this
invention is shown in some detail, although it will be apparent to
those skilled in the relevant art that some features, which are not
relevant to the invention may not be shown for the sake of
clarity.
Overview
The modes of communication between customers and businesses have
changed dramatically in recent years. These modes of communication
are referred to herein as customer contact channels or customer
contact sources. The public telephone system and hard copy
correspondence, e.g., U.S. mail, and facsimile, are still primary
means by which a customer can contact an agent of a business,
including customer service representatives ("CSR's"). However, home
computers and the Internet have added at least two increasingly
important customer contact channels or contact sources. These
channels are electronic mail, or "e-mail" and Internet-based
contacts.
The Internet has provided a cost-effective forum for businesses to
interact with customers. In particular, a World Wide Web (WWW)
server enables a business to provide a site on the Internet
describing its products and services. In addition, a WWW server may
be used to create a site for customers to order products and
services. A WWW server typically has the capability to store and
transfer Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) files, multimedia
content, and other scripts. A customer can visit the site via the
Internet using a computer configured with Web browser software. The
Web browser may communicate with the Web server using Hypertext
Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
Despite the information available via the Internet and other media
forms, customers may require other assistance from the business.
Accordingly, in accordance with the present invention, a business
may provide customers with telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, and
web-based forms so customers can submit queries to agents. In order
for an agent to effectively and efficiently assist a customer, the
agent preferably has ready access to information about the
customer, the subject of the query, and the contact history between
the business and the customer. In addition, the agent is preferably
enabled to update the business's records with information learned
during the contact that is relevant to the above topics.
The present invention is directed toward a system and method for
providing complete customer contact management across a variety of
customer contact channels so that businesses, or clients (i.e.,
those businesses using the services of the system and method of the
present invention), can manage and develop relationships with their
customers. In one aspect, the present invention provides an
efficient way in which clients can obtain information from the
various customer contact channels and use this information to, for
example, increase sales and enhance business productivity. In
another aspect, the present invention provides a useful mechanism
by which clients can monitor customer's preferences for products or
services, so that the client can develop new products and services
or modify existing products and services to meet the demand of the
customers. The present invention also provides an improved system
capable of retrieving customer contact information from a plurality
of contact channels, storing that information, and performing
subsequent processes, such as making the data available to the
clients in the form of, for example, reports.
The foregoing overview is provided to help understand the nature
and essence of the present invention. The overview is not intended
to be limiting as to the scope of the present invention in any
way.
System and Method of the Present Invention
Referring to FIG. 1a, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of a
customer contact information management system 20 of the present
invention. Customer contact information management system 20 is
preferably directed to a system for, but not limited to, receiving,
storing, managing, tracking, and responding to customer contacts,
which are received via a plurality of customer contact channels,
including, but not limited to, telephone, the Internet, e-mail, or
hard copy correspondence received via courier or facsimile.
System 20 preferably includes a call center 22, an electronic mail
or e-mail server 24, a World Wide Web (WWW) server 26, a tracking
system 28 including a first database 28a, a reporting system 30
including a second database 30a, an agent terminal, which can
alternatively be referred to as agent computer 50, and an agent
telephone 52. Each of the aforementioned components of system 20
will be described in more detail below.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, call center 22,
e-mail server 24, WWW server 26, tracking system 28 including first
database 28a, reporting system 30 including second database 30a,
contact center management system 32, agent computer 50, and agent
telephone 52 are connected via a network 34. Network 34 may be an
Ethernet network that utilizes TCP/IP. However, it should apparent
to one of ordinary skill in the art that system 20 may utilize a
variety of different types of networks and a variety of different
types of data transfer protocols. Those skilled in the art should
also recognize that the network 34 may be part of a local area
network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN).
As is known in the art, a LAN preferably comprises a computer
network that spans a relatively small geographical area. For
example, conventional LANs are confined to a single building or
group of buildings. However, a single LAN can be connected to other
LANs over any distance via, for example, but not limited to,
telephone lines and radio waves. A system of LANs connected in this
way is generally referred to as a WAN.
A WAN is generally described as a computer network that spans a
relatively large geographical area. Computers connected to a WAN
are often connected through public networks, such as, but not
limited to, the telephone system or the Internet. These computers
can also be connected through, for example, but not limited to,
leased lines or satellites.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, call center
22, electronic mail or e-mail server 24, WWW server 26, tracking
system 28, reporting system 30, agent computer 50 and agent
telephone 52 which comprise system 20 can be referred to as a
transaction-processing center. In an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention, a plurality of agent computers 50 and agent
telephones 52 are located within the transaction-processing center.
It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, that a
transaction-processing center of the present invention may comprise
a plurality of buildings and rooms each comprising agent computers
50 and agent telephones 52. In this sense, agent computer 50 and
agent telephone 52 can be referred as "local" to the transaction
processing center, or alternatively, as "local" system 20.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, agent
computer 50 and agent telephone 52 can be located at a site not
within the transaction processing center, or alternatively, not
within system 20. Such a site for the location of agent computer 50
and/or agent telephone 52 could include, but is not limited to, the
agent's home, another facility, or any other suitable location. It
should be understood, that agent computer 50 does not have to be at
the same location as agent telephone 52. For example, agent
telephone 52 could be located at the agent's home and agent
computer 50 could be located in another suitable location within
the transaction processing center or not within the transaction
processing center. The agent would preferably have a monitor,
terminal, or display for displaying data received from agent
computer 50. In embodiments having at least the agent telephone 52
outside of and not within the transaction processing center, the
agent would be considered to be "remote" from transaction
processing center or system 20. In other words, the agent would be
"a remote agent." The remote agent functionality and systems for
carrying out such functionality are described in more detail in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,073,890; 5,291,551; 5,392,345; 5,459,780;
5,778,060; 5,878,130; 5,802,163; and 5,684,870, the entirety of
each of which are herein incorporated by reference in their
entirety.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, system 20 is
configured to provide customer service for products or services,
information regarding products or services for sale, or a variety
of other types of information or services.
In an exemplary embodiment, customers may contact system 20 by a
telephone call, an electronic message, an Internet-based contact,
for example, but not limited to, Internet chat or an HTML file
submitted via a client's Web site, or hard copy correspondence. In
a particular embodiment, a customer can use a telephone 36 to place
a telephone call to call center 22 via a public switched telephone
network (PSTN) 38. In addition, a customer having a computer 40 can
contact system 20 via the Internet 42. In an exemplary embodiment,
the customer can send an e-mail message to electronic message
server 24 using an e-mail program, for example, Eudora.RTM., a
registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated, San Diego, Calif.,
which is loaded on computer 40. Alternatively, the customer can
contact WWW server 26 if computer 40 is configured with a WWW
browser, which is a known software tool used to access the servers
of the network. Each of these exemplary contact methods will be
described in more detail below.
Representative WWW browsers suitable for use in the present
invention include, but are not limited to, Netscape Navigator.RTM.
(all versions), a registered trademark of Netscape Communications
Corporation, Mountain View, Calif., and Microsoft Internet
Explorer.RTM. (all versions), a registered trademark of Microsoft
Corporation, Redmond, Wash., or the like, each of which are
"off-the-shelf" or downloadable software programs. The WWW server
platform (sometimes referred to as a "Web" site) supports files in
the form of hypertext documents and objects. In the Internet
paradigm, a network path to a server is identified by a so-called
Uniform Resource Locator (URL). The World Wide Web is the
Internet's multimedia information retrieval system. In particular,
it is a collection of servers on the Internet that use the
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which provides users access to
files using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).
As shown in FIG. 1a, system 20 also preferably includes a contact
center management system 32. Contact center management system 32 is
configured to manage customer contacts. In an exemplary embodiment,
contact center management system 32 is a system comprising at least
one programmed computer that is configured to receive and track
contact data files and/or documents which are then prioritized and
distributed to agents, preferably on-line, for processing. For
example, a desired agent may be an agent who is designated as
currently available, an agent that has extensive knowledge about a
particular area, or an agent's supervisor. Contact center
management system 32 may also be programmed to perform other
functions such as, but not limited to, the scheduling of agents,
agent timekeeping, the monitoring of contact quality, and the
pricing schedule.
In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1a, call center 22, e-mail
server 24, WWW server 26, and contact center management system 32
comprise what is preferably referred to as a "contact center." As
used herein, unless otherwise clear from the context, a contact
center shall be understood to include, but is not limited to, the
devices, programs, subsystems, and/or other means by which customer
contacts are received and managed. It should be understood by one
of ordinary skill in the art that an exemplary contact center of
the present invention may be adapted to receive, but is not limited
to receiving, telephone calls, electronic communications, and/or
hard copy correspondence. The electronic communications can
include, but are not limited to, electronic mail messages and/or
other types of electronic messages, including, for example,
Internet-based contacts, facsimile or other suitable source of
electronic messages.
Call center 22 of system 20 can have many embodiments suitable for
use in the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown
one exemplary embodiment 22A of call center 22. Call center 22A
preferably includes an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system 44
on the front end of a switch or Private Branch Exchange (PBX) 46. A
preferred embodiment of the switch 46 is a Lucent Definity G3, an
Aspect switch, an AT&T/OCDD switch, or a Nortel/Max switch. IVR
system 44 is preferably coupled to public switch telephone network
(PSTN) 38 by a T1 line. As is known in the art, a T1 line describes
a point-to-point digital communications circuit that carries
twenty-four (24) 64,000-bits/second (though sometimes only 56,000
bits/second are accessible to end users) channels, each of which
may be used for data or digitized voice. As shown in FIG. 2, IVR
system 44, switch 46 and a Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)
server 48 (described in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 3
and 4) are each preferably connected to network 34.
Through the integration of CTI server 48, IVR system 44, agent
computer 50, and agent telephone 52, it is possible for agents to
initiate automatic applications on agent computer 50 based on the
telephone conversation that they receive. If the customer has
identified himself or herself with a personal identifier, such as,
but not limited to, a client number, all of the customer
information, for example, but not limited to, whether the client
has called previously, if so why, how often, what answers have been
given to specific questions are displayed on the agent computer 50.
In this way, conversations can be conducted more effectively and
quickly, raising the quality and productivity of the service.
In operation, when a telephone call is received from a customer,
IVR system 44 accessed prior to switch 46 preferably provides the
customer with a list of options for advancing the call. For
example, IVR system 44 may ask whether the call concerns an order,
a request for product information, or a request for technical
support. After the customer selects an option for advancing the
call, switch 46 routes the call to an available and suitable agent
having agent telephone 52 based on the customer's selection. At
about the same time, CTI server 48 will pass data from IVR system
44 over network 34 to agent computer 50 which causes a screen pop
on the monitor of the available agent's computer 50. Agent computer
50 is also preferably coupled to network 34. As shown in FIG. 2,
voice data can be passed between switch 46 and agent telephone 52.
Other forms of data, including, but not limited to a customer
identifier, the automatic number identification (ANI), dialed
number identification service (DNIS), an order number, a company
identification code (CIC), and the exit point from IVR system 44,
can be sent over network 34 and between each of IVR 44, switch 46,
CTI server 48, and agent computer 50.
A screen pop, as used herein, refers to displaying information
pertaining to the customer contact on the terminal of agent
computer 50. In the exemplary embodiment, the screen pop will
provide the agent with information such as, but not limited to, the
automatic number identification (ANI), dialed number identification
service (DNIS), an order number, a company identification code
(CIC), and the exit point from IVR system 44. The exit point is
preferably the last step in a script associated with IVR system 44
from which the customer exited IVR system 44.
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown another exemplary
embodiment 22B of call center 22. Call center 22B has IVR system 44
on the back end of switch 46 which is preferably coupled to PSTN
38. It should be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that
IVR system 44 can be placed before or after switch 46 and function
as described herein. In this exemplary embodiment, IVR system 44,
CTI server 48, and agents' computers 50 are preferably connected by
network 34.
In operation, when a telephone call is received from a customer,
voice data (depicted as broken lines in FIG. 3) is transmitted from
switch 46 to IVR system 44 and agent telephone 52. At about the
same time, CTI server 48 passes data from IVR system 44 and causes
a screen pop on the monitor of the available agent's computer
50.
In addition to causing a screen pop on agent computer 50, CTI
server 48 preferably transfers contact information or data received
during the telephone call to database 28a of tracking system 28 via
the network 34. The contact information or data preferably
includes, but is not limited to, the ANI, DNIS, order number,
contact identification number, exit point from IVR system 44, and
any other suitable and desired data received via IVR system 44
and/or CTI server 48. An exemplary database 28a suitable for use in
the present invention is an Oracle.RTM. 8.x, a trademark of Oracle
Corporation, Redwood Shores, Calif. Database 28a may be a complete
database management system (DBMS), which acts to organize and
standardize data retrieval and storage. Database 28a is preferably
controlled by a language that helps to manipulate the data and that
allows querying of database 28a. A language suitable for use in the
present invention, includes, but is not limited to, SQL. It should
be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that other suitable
languages can be used.
Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there are shown exemplary call and
data flow functional diagrams of an exemplary call and data flow
process through an exemplary call center. Particularly, FIG. 4 is a
call or voice data flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention and FIG. 5 is a related data flow diagram.
Referring first to FIG. 4, in operation, incoming telephone calls
from customer telephones 36 flow through switch 46 and are placed
in IVR system 44. IVR system 44 preferably segments the calls in
the manner described above. The segmented calls are then preferably
transferred to a live agent who can interact with the customer
directly via agent telephone 52 (not shown). Alternatively, it
should be recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art that
calls to predetermined telephone numbers might be made directly to
live agents.
An agent who receives a telephone call will also preferably receive
a screen pop that contains information about the call. For example,
IVR system 44 uses CTI server 48 to pass contact information or
data to database 28a of contact tracking system 28, and the agent
will receive a screen pop from IVR system 44 containing the contact
information. The contact information preferably includes, but is
not limited to, the ANI, the DNIS, the order number, the company
identification number, and the exit point from IVR system 44.
After the agent receives the screen pop, CTI server 48 uses the
ANI, for example, to determine if contact information about the
customer already exists in database 28a of contact tracking system
28. If no match is found, CTI server 48 allows the agent to search
by other criteria, such as, but not limited to, a contact
identification number, first and last name, business name, phone
number, fax number, email address, or other suitable criteria. If
contact information about the customer already exists in database
28a, the agent proceeds through the call flow. However, if no
existing contact information is found or if the contact information
is inconclusive, e.g., multiple customers have the same ANI, the
agent can use a graphical user interface (GUI) (which will be
described in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 10-17) of
contact tracking system 28 to perform a more intensive search of
database 28a.
For example, as noted above, the agent can prompt the customer over
the telephone for additional information, such as the customer's
first and last name, business name, zip code, phone number, fax
number, e-mail address, or contact ID number. The agent can then
use the GUI to search database 28a using any of these criteria. If
the agent is still unable to identify the customer in the database
28a or if the agent locates the customer in database 28a but needs
to update the contact information, for example, update the
customer's address or telephone number, the agent then enters the
new or updated customer contact information into a database 33a of
a client system 33 which is preferably coupled to database 28a via
network 34 or other suitable connection. After the contact
information is entered into database 33a, client system 33 triggers
a set of stored procedures for contact tracking system 28 and
transfers the appropriate contact information back to database 28a
of contact tracking system 28. In an alternative embodiment, the
agent could update the contact information in database 28a of
contact tracking system 28 and then a computer program or other
suitable means could transfer the updated contact information to
database 33a of client system 33 on a periodic and automatic
basis.
Once the appropriate contact information is stored in database 28a,
the agent proceeds with the rest of the telephone call flow, as
depicted by step 29 in FIG. 4. For example, the agent can talk to
the customer to capture specific pieces of information about the
call itself, such as call source and ad code, or to learn more
about the reason why the customer is calling. The agent can then
assist the customer by providing some or all of the following
services: selling products and services; cross-selling and
up-selling products and services; taking product orders and
processing credit card orders; providing comparative product
information; positioning and selling the client's products versus
the competitor's products; communicating data sheet information
about the products and services; answering questions about the
products and services; capturing additional information about the
customer and the customer's contact history; assisting the customer
with web-based interaction; checking on the customer's order
status; providing referrals to other people or organizations that
can better answer the query; documenting the customer's feedback
and escalations; conducting surveys to determine what products and
services interest the customer; and sending requested product
literature to the customer by fax, mail, or email. In addition, the
agent can perform the following functions: invoke client system 33
to, for example, obtain reference materials about the client's
products and services; search database 28a of contact tracking
system 28 to obtain contact history information, invoke a shipping
system; such as, but not limited to, Federal Express.TM., or an
ordering system as needed during the telephone call to assist the
customer. Once the agent is finished with the call, the agent can
perform other work after the call, for instance, updating database
28a, as depicted by step 31 in FIG. 4. After the agent has
completed the work after the call, then the agent is returned to a
ready to receive call mode which will be described in more detail
below.
There is also preferably a computer software program operating at
each agent computer 50 that helps an agent manage and respond to
customer contacts. In particular, the software program is
preferably adapted to put agent computer 50 and agent telephone 52
in an operating mode, which can include, but is not limited to, the
following states of operation: (1) a not ready to receive a new
contact mode; or (2) a ready to receive a new contact mode. The
agent can use a mouse, keyboard, or another appropriate input
device coupled to agent computer 50 to access the software program
and control the operating mode. When an agent has agent telephone
52 and/or agent computer 50 in a not ready to receive a new contact
mode, the customer can be routed elsewhere so that the customer
will not have to wait for that particular agent. In addition, it
prevents an agent from being interrupted by a new customer while
the agent is busy dealing with another customer.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the not ready
to receive a new contact mode preferably includes a contact
presently ongoing mode. The not ready to receive a new contact mode
may also include a standby during data entry mode and an away from
the agent telephone mode. The away from the agent telephone mode
can be used by an agent who is on a break or otherwise away from
agent telephone 52 for any reason. The agent can place his or her
phone 52 and/or computer 50 in the standby during data entry mode
after completing a contact with a customer. In the standby during
data entry mode, the agent can enter additional information into
database 28a of contact tracking system 28. Such information can
include, but is not limited to, the following: the disposition of
the query, which can describe what steps the agent took to answer
the customer's questions; additional reasons for the query; and
additional comments made by the customer. Once the agent completes
the post-call functions, such as data entry, and is ready to
receive another telephone call, the agent can return agent
telephone 52 to a ready mode. When the agent receives the next
telephone call, the agent will receive another screen pop and the
call flow will be repeated.
Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown an exemplary data flow diagram
according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, data can be
preloaded into database 28a of contact tracking system 28 from
client system 33. In this fashion, the client is given access to
the amount and type of data being stored in database 28a. In
addition, as described above, data can also be passed from switch
46 and IVR system 44. In yet a further embodiment, as described
above, once an agent enters new or updated customer contact
information into database 33a of client system 33, which is
preferably coupled to database 28a via network 34 or other suitable
connection, client system 33 triggers a set of stored procedures
for contact tracking system 28 and transfers the appropriate
contact information back to database 28a of contact tracking system
28. In an alternative embodiment, the agent could update the
contact information in database 28a of contact tracking system 28
and then a computer program or other suitable means could transfer
the updated contact information to database 33a of client system 33
on a periodic and automatic basis.
The data stored in database 28a can then be passed to a database
30a associated with a contact center reporting system 30 (which
will be described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 6).
Other data regarding, for example, an agent's time, or associated
data can also be transferred to database 30a from, for example, an
agent timekeeping system (TKS) 35. Such data could include, but is
not limited to, the amount of time each agent spends per contact,
the total amount of time an agent is working, or other suitable
information. In another aspect, data can be passed from switch 46
to database 30a. This information can then be reported to the
client, which will be described in more detail below with regard to
FIG. 6.
Referring again to FIG. 1a, in addition to telephone calls placed
to system 20 as described above, customers may also contact system
20 of the present invention via a public computer network, such as
but not limited to, the Internet 42 or via other suitable types of
electronic communications medium. In particular, customers can send
e-mail messages to e-mail server 24 and customers can visit a
client's web site at WWW server 26. It should also be apparent to
one having ordinary skill in the art that customers can contact
system 20 via any conventional direct electronic mail connections
between the customer and system 20. The WWW server 26 may be
configured for functions such as, but not limited to, purchase or
order requests, customer service, technical support, Internet chat,
and assisted browsing, which will be described in more detail
below. For example, while visiting the client's web site, a
customer may click on a "Help" or "ORDER" button of a web page or
enter a command with the keyboard in order to request assistance or
place an order. The WWW server 26 may then provide a HTML form for
the customer to complete or automatically connect the customer to
an agent, using, for example, a direct audio connection, such as
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP is explained in more
detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,867,495, 5,883,891, 5,910,946, and
5,963,551, each of which is herein incorporated by reference in its
entirety. The HTML form may request information such as the
customer's name, address, and phone number, the subject of the
query, the type of desired help, a product identifier, the method
of payment, and/or the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) where the
customer needs assistance. After the customer completes the form,
the customer sends the form to the WWW server 26 for further
processing and distribution.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, agents and
clients have access to information regarding a customer's contacts
with e-mail server 24 and WWW server 26. In order to provide this
access in a timely and efficient manner, system 20 passes data from
the e-mail server 24 and the WWW server 26 to database 28a of the
tracking system 28. Network 34 is preferably configured to
automatically transfer desired contact information from e-mail
server 24 and WWW server 26 to database 28a of tracking system 28.
This contact information may include, but is not limited to, the
name and address of the customer, the e-mail and IP address of the
customer, the type of contact, the date and time of the contact,
the content of the contact message, the subject of the contact, the
type of assistance requested, and the product that is the subject
of the request. It should be apparent to one of ordinary skill in
the art, however, that additional information may be included, for
example, a customer identifier that can be used for
cross-referencing an individual customer to a particular client,
which will be described in more detail below.
Data transfer between servers 24 and 26 and database 28a of
tracking system 28 can be accomplished by automatic forwarding of
the data. Alternatively, data transfer between servers 24 and 26
and database 28a of tracking system 28 can be carried out by
automatic pulling of the data. It is preferred that the automatic
forwarding or pulling steps take place at predetermined intervals.
It should also be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art
that the data could also be transferred from servers 24 and 26 to
database 28a manually, however, an automated data transfer system
is preferred. For example, servers 24, 26 may be programmed to
automatically forward contact information to database 28a of
tracking system 28. Alternatively, tracking system 28 may be
programmed to pull contact information from servers 24, 26. It
should be recognized that the data transfer programs may be written
in a number of different languages, such as, but not limited to,
C++ or SQL.
The contact information may be published or produced by system 20
for each client at defined intervals and stored on email server 24
and WWW server 26 or on separate databases associated with email
server 24 and WWW server 26. These intervals can range from about a
couple of seconds to about 24 hours or more depending upon each
client's requirements. Once the contact information is stored on
email server 24 and WWW server 26, the contact information is then
preferably transferred to a staging table or database 24a
associated with email server 24 or a staging table or database 26a
associated with WWW server 26. It should be understood by one of
ordinary skill in the art that a single staging table could be
associated with both email server 24 and WWW server 26. However, it
is preferred that each server has an associated staging table. It
should also be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art
that a similar staging table could be used for the contact
information collected from the customer telephone calls as
described above.
An exemplary data structure 2000 for an exemplary staging table 24a
or 26a suitable for use in the present invention is shown in FIG.
1b. It should be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art
that the exemplary data structure is shown for exemplary purposes
only and should not be construed as limiting the present invention
to the exemplary structure shown. Indeed, other data structures and
arrangements could be used and still be within the scope of the
present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1b, exemplary data structure 2000 includes a
variety of information relating to an email contact. This
information includes, but is not limited to the following: a
Message_ID 2001, which is preferably a unique identifier of the
email message; a Record_create datetime 2003, which is preferably
the date and time the record was created in data structure 2000; a
Customer_ID 2005, which is preferably used to match the unique
customer in the system to the customer record in the system; an
Email_Addr 2007, which preferably identifies the email address of
the sender (i.e., the customer); a First Name 2009, which
preferably identifies the first name of the person associated with
the email message; a Last Name 2011, which preferably identifies
the last name of the person associated with the email message; a
Type 2013, which preferably identifies the type of email, which can
include, but is not limited to the following, incoming, response,
or originated; a Case_Id 2015, which identifies a thread of
communication between the agent and the customer, the thread
usually ends when any party stops sending a reply email; a
DateTime_Rec'd 2017, which identifies the date and time the email
was received; a DateTime_Compl 2019, which preferably identifies
the date and time the email was completed; an Orig_Subject 2021,
which preferably identifies the incoming email subject; an
Orig_Email_Body 2023, which preferably identifies the body of the
incoming email; a Reply_Subject 2025, which preferably identifies
the reply email subject line; a Reply_Email_body 2027, which
preferably identifies the body of the reply email; a Note 2029,
which preferably identifies any notes that the agent writes about
the message; a HasAttachment 2031, which preferably identifies
whether or not the email has an attachment, preferably using a "1"
to designate that there is an attachment and a "0" to designate
that there is not an attachment; a Mailbox 2033, which preferably
identifies the email box that the message was received in; a
Folder_Name 2035, which preferably identifies the current location
of the email message; and a Complete record 2037, which preferably
identifies whether or not the message has been completed,
preferably using a "1" to designate that the message has been
completed and a "0" to designate that the message has not been
completed.
Once the contact information is transferred, it is stored in a
common format, similar to that described above and shown in FIG.
1b, in staging table 24a and staging table 26a. In this fashion,
the information can be retrieved from a variety of customers and a
variety of clients without regard to the particular format of the
information. It is preferred, however, that a web-based form be
provided to customers, if they are contacting system 20 via, for
example, the Internet 42, wherever possible so that the format of
the data can be prearranged on the web-based form. This will
increase efficiency of the data transfer between servers 24 and 26
and their respective staging tables 24a and 26a.
As noted above, each record in staging table 24a or 26a may
include, but is not limited to, the name and address of the
customer, the e-mail and Internet Protocol (IP) address of the
customer, the type of contact, the data and time of the contact,
the content of the contact message, the subject of the contact, the
type of assistance requested, and the product that is the subject
of the request. Formatting this information in staging tables 24a
and 26a using a data structure such as that shown in FIG. 1b prior
to sending the information over to database 28a of tracking system
28 helps to ensure consistent data transfer and, as noted above,
adds to the overall efficiency and reliability of the information
processing system. The records in staging tables 24a and 26a may be
updated or created each time data is added for a particular client
or instance within table 24a or 26a.
Once the contact information or data is stored in staging table 24a
and 26a in a preformatted arrangement, the contact information is
read or transferred from staging table 24a and 26a to database 28a
of tracking system 28. As noted above, this data transfer may be
accomplished by automatic forwarding, or, alternatively by pulling
of the data, between staging table 24a and 26a and database 28a of
tracking system 28.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, tracking
system 28 or a computer program associated therewith, monitors
staging tables 24a and 26a and initiates a transfer procedure when
new contact information is added to staging tables 24a or 26a.
Alternatively, staging tables 24a and 26a, or software programs
associated therewith, can initiate or trigger stored procedures on
tracking system 28 which transfers the data from staging tables 24a
and 26a to database 28a of tracking system 28. The stored
procedures are preferably configured to read the data, including a
customer identifier that may be used for cross-referencing
different contacts (i.e., Internet, electronic mail, telephone,
hard copy correspondence, etc.) into database 28a of tracking
system 28. In addition, these stored procedures can determine the
locations within database 28a to store the information. Posting of
the contact information within database 28a of tracking system 28
will generally be in the same format as in staging tables 24a and
26a for the reasons noted above. However, it should be apparent to
one of ordinary skill in the art that the contact information can
be reformatted or repositioned based on a particular client's
needs. Once the contact information is posted to database 28a of
tracking system 28, an agent can access tracking system 28 and
review contact history information for individual customers or
groups of customers via an interactive contact information software
program loaded on agent computer 50 or equivalent thereof.
Having described one exemplary embodiment of the customer contact
information management system 20 above, another exemplary
embodiment of system 20 is shown in FIG. 6. It should be apparent
to one of ordinary skill in the art that the description of the
components of system 20 described above are relevant to the
embodiment referenced in FIG. 6 and should be considered consistent
with, and/or cumulative to, the description that follows.
As shown in FIG. 6 and as noted above, a customer may contact
system 20 through a plurality of customer contact channels 60,
including, but not limited to, the Internet, telephone, electronic
messages, and hard copy correspondence. System 20 preferably
includes an internet contact management system 66, contact tracking
system 28, an e-mail management system 68, contact center reporting
system 30, and contact center management system 32. An exemplary
e-mail management system 68 suitable for use in the present
invention is similar to the one described in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 08/897,777, filed Jul. 21, 1997, the entirety
of which is herein incorporated by reference.
Internet contact management system 66 preferably includes, but is
not limited to, a WWW server 26 (which is described and shown
above) and a database associated with WWW server 26. Internet
contact management system 66 may include, but is not limited to, a
plurality of processes and software suitable for implementing such
processes, including Internet Chat 66a, Assisted browsing 66b, and
a "Call-Me Button" 66c. Internet Chat 66a may comprise both text
and visual real-time communications between an agent and a customer
and can exist in various forms of correspondence, including, but
not limited to, one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, or
many-to-many textual or visual interaction over the Internet.
Assisted browsing 66b may allow an agent to initiate control of a
customer's computer in order to help navigate the customer through
a client web site or aid the customer in placing orders. Assisted
browsing 66b may include various embodiments, including, but not
limited to, collaborative browsing, sharing standard web forms
between the agent and the customer, sharing framed web pages,
hands-free operation for customers providing "remote control" to
the agent of the customer's computer, and real-time network
diagnostics for performance monitoring.
Call-Me Button 66c preferably comprises an icon on the customer's
browser screen which enables the customer to request to either talk
to an agent immediately or to have an agent call the customer at
the earliest convenience. In an exemplary embodiment, Call-Me
Button 66c would initiate an immediate response from the agent
which could exist in a form, such as, but not limited to, two-line
callback or single-line callthrough. Internet contact management
system 66 could also include other processes and software for
implementing such processes, such as Voice Over IP ("VoIP"), which
enables a customer to browse a web site while simultaneously
conducting a conversation with a customer representative or
agent.
E-mail management system 68 includes, but is not limited to, e-mail
server 24 (which is described and shown above) and a database
associated with e-mail server 24. E-mail management system 68 is
adapted to perform tasks such as queuing and routing 68a of
messages, which will be described in more detail below with
reference to FIG. 10, auto-acknowledge 68b, auto-suggest 68c,
auto-response 68d, and attachment handling 68e.
Auto-acknowledge 68b notifies the customer who has sent an e-mail
to e-mail management system 68 that the e-mail has been
successfully routed to a particular agent or, alternatively, has
been successfully staged in a particular queue and is awaiting
action by the agent. Auto-suggest 68c can comprise templates
created by either an agent's supervisor or manager or by the agent.
These templates are then stored in the memory of the agent's
computer. These templates are configured to provide suggestions or
recommendations to the agent, or alternatively to the customer.
Examples of suggestions can include, but are not limited to,
product recommendations, technical search requirements within a
particular web site, or answers to frequently asked questions. It
is preferred that auto-suggest 68c gives full flexibility for the
agent or the agent's supervisor to create templates to meet the
needs of the particular client's business.
Auto-response 68d preferably comprises the features of auto-suggest
68c but generally does not require interaction by the agent or the
agent's supervisor. Auto-response 68d is preferably configured to
recognize key words or phrases embedded in e-mails sent to e-mail
contact management system 68. Based upon these key words or phrases
or combinations thereof, auto-response 68d initiates a set of
procedures. For example, if an e-mail arrives at e-mail contact
management system 68 which includes the terms "2000", "catalog,"
and "send", then auto-response 68d will recognize the combination
of key terms and use this combination to search for an appropriate
e-mail template. In this example, a template containing a
pre-addressed address block and containing the phrase, "We
appreciate your interest in our 2000 catalog. You are a valued
customer and should receive your new catalog in approximately 2 to
3 business days." In this fashion, a number of pre-formatted e-mail
responses can be saved which ultimately leads to quicker
dispositions of e-mail requests and adds to the overall efficiency
of the system.
Attachment handling 68e is configured in a manner known to one of
ordinary skill in the art to attach additional information to
e-mails. For example, in the auto-response 68d example described
above, instead of sending the catalog via regular U.S. mail, an
electronic version of the catalog could be attached to the
responding e-mail and sent to the customer. A diagram of the
architecture of an exemplary embodiment of electronic message
(email) management system 68 is shown in FIG. 7. In the exemplary
embodiment shown, a customer creates an electronic message using an
email package stored on one of customer's computers 40a-40c and
addresses the electronic message to an address of a client (e.g.,
www.ACME.com). The electronic message is then transferred over
Internet 42 through WWW server 26 or e-mail server 24 and
thereafter preferably through a conventional firewall 43. In an
exemplary embodiment, e-mail server 24 and WWW server 26 will
"privately-brand" the message. "Private-branding" is when e-mail
server 24 or WWW server 26 recognizes that a particular e-mail
message originates from a particular client server by recognizing a
client server ID that is embedded in the e-mail message. For
instance, in the example given above, e-mail server 24 or WWW
server 26 recognizes that the e-mail message is forwarded by a
server associated with "ACME" by the client server ID embedded in
the e-mail message.
When the electronic message is received by WWW server 26 or e-mail
server 24, the message is automatically forwarded to another server
84. At least for e-mail messages, it is preferred that server 84
generates an auto-acknowledgement message indicating to the
customer that the e-mail message was received. Server 84 may also
perform address translation so that an e-mail message appears to
have been received and responded to from a desired location.
An agent can use one of a plurality of agent computers 50a-50e to
access an electronic message via work queues 88. Work queues 88
preferably assist with a logical division of the electronic
messages so that an agent can select and access a particular type
of message, e.g., an e-mail message directed to customer service,
an e-mail message directed to technical support, an e-mail message
directed to an order, a web-based order, or a web-based request for
customer assistance. The agent can use any appropriate method to
respond to an electronic message.
In order to expedite e-mail responses, server 84 is preferably
adapted to generate suggested and/or standard responses or
templates therefor, particularly for frequently asked questions.
Keywords or context of the email message can trigger these
templates. For example, a customer could send an email message to
www.ACME.com saying that they really like Acme's products and would
like to receive the year 2000 catalog. One exemplary template could
be created based on the keywords "2000/catalog/receive" contained
within the email. In such an embodiment, server 84 would serve up
the template to respective agent computer 50a-50e. The template
could contain the customer's name, email address, the name of the
client, and a generated response to the customer's inquiry. At this
point, the agent can proofread and edit the suggested or standard
response, or the agent can compose an original response. In
addition, the agent can create their own templates based on certain
parameters and keywords. The keywords can be used to develop a
template and result in merged fields.
Referring back to FIG. 6, call center 22 and its functionality has
been sufficiently described above and for the sake of brevity will
not be discussed in further detail.
With continued reference to FIG. 6, contacts tracking system 28,
including database 28a, which stores the contact information
received from the plurality of contacts as described above,
comprises a plurality of contact information and related
functionality, including but not limited to the following: call
tracking 28b; dispositioning 28c; call scheduling 28d; campaign
management 28e; case management 28f; data capture 28g; and surveys
and scripting 28h. Call Tracking 28b preferably includes tracking
or capturing telephone calls or other contacts, saving the contact
information into database 28a of tracking system 28, which has been
described herein above, and relating this information to the client
in an efficient manner, which will be described in more detail
below. This information can include, but is not limited to, the
reason why the customer called or contacted the system, the time
and date the customer called, and the disposition of the call.
Dispositioning 28c refers to what the agent did to resolve the
customer's problem or answer the customer's question. In this
fashion, dispositioning 28c and its related information allows the
client to determine what changes need to be made in either the
products or services the client offers.
As noted above, tracking system 28 also includes a call scheduling
28d process and software suitable for implementing the process.
Call Scheduling 28d preferably tracks and organizes all incoming
and outgoing calls or contacts to system 20. For example, if a
customer were having a problem with a particular product and places
a call to call center 22, for example, call scheduling 28d would
log the inbound call. Call scheduling 28d would then record any
outbound call that needs to be made to serve as a reminder to the
agent that the agent needs to contact the particular customer.
Another process included in tracking system 28 is campaign
management 28e. Campaign management 28e includes managing a
sequence of contacts with a targeted customer base. In particular,
campaign management 28e manages inbound and outbound campaigns
configured to capture additional revenue and/or information for
clients.
An exemplary inbound campaign includes conducting an advertising
campaign for a client after the client has launched a new product,
such as the launch of a new drug campaign. Such a campaign could
include, for example, implementing multiple modes of advertising
across multiple contact channels, such as Internet, voicemail, and
email. The system could then track responses to these various
campaigns which would allow clients to obtain valuable information
about the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns.
An exemplary outbound campaign includes contacting a group of
customers, through, for example, outgoing call campaigns. Such a
group of customers could, for example, have service agreements set
to expire. In such a case, the campaign would inquire as to whether
the customers want to extend the agreements or if they are
interested in the new version of the product. In this fashion,
clients can extend their relationships with customers who have not
recently purchased new products, thereby opening up additional
avenues of revenue.
In an exemplary embodiment, campaign management 28e preferably
knows how each particular customer prefers to receive information
(e.g., via telephone, Internet, or e-mail) so that they can contact
the customer in the prescribed and requested fashion.
In addition, tracking system 28 includes a case management 28f
functionality. Case management 28f ties a set of related contacts
together. These contacts can be tied together in a number of ways,
including, but not limited to, an event, such as failure of a
product, or the sale of a product. For example, if a customer
purchases a product and calls into call center 22 and says that it
is not working properly, the agent handles the telephone call and
offers solutions either in the present call or subsequent calls or
e-mails. The first contact and any subsequent contacts may be
linked together by the event of the failure of the product. In this
fashion, each contact may be identified individually, but more
importantly, as part of a particular contact campaign. Such
bundling of contacts provides valuable information to the client so
that the client can troubleshoot problems and offer subsequent
changes to its products and services if required.
Data capture 28g is an additional process of tracking system 28.
Data capture 28g refers to the ability to capture data for clients
from contacts based on the particular client's needs. Some examples
of typical data that is extracted for a particular client includes,
but is not limited to, the following: name of contact; address
(e-mail or postal); phone number; information about the contact,
for example, DNIS, ANI, call source; reason and disposition of the
contact; and notes (preferably a free form area in which agent can
add additional information).
Tracking system 28 also preferably includes a surveys and scripting
28h functionality. Generally, surveys consist of three different
types: random; product and/or reason; and personal. An example of a
random survey is where a group of questions is asked to a customer
based merely on that customer being, for instance, the tenth
caller. In this fashion, there is no constraint on who the customer
is or what the customer's buying preferences are. The second
preferred survey type is based upon a product or reason. In this
type of survey, every customer who calls about a particular product
or a particular reason, for example, product failure, is asked a
set of questions. This type of survey can target specific questions
at a particular and narrower population. The third type of survey
is based upon the individual customer or, more particularly, the
demographics of the customer. These types of surveys allows the
client to develop questions directed toward a defined subset of the
population.
Scripting, which can be tied to surveys, preferably exists in two
forms, hard scripting and soft scripting. Hard scripting generally
includes suggestions or questions, which are displayed directly on
the agent's computer screen for direct reading by the agent. These
generally include survey questions and responses to regulatory
matters. Because surveys, however, are usually never conducted in
linear fashion (i.e., set responses to set questions), soft
scripting is used to provide a more flexible set of directions.
Simply put, soft scripting generally are suggestions that lead the
agents through the phone call, e-mail, or other contact. They
generally help structure the contact but do not limit the agent to
a particular path or script to be taken.
Tracking system 28 also preferably includes, but is not limited to,
the following additional capabilities or features: preloading with
existing contact information; receiving data from the client's
system via the use of stored tracking system procedures and
triggers which are written and initiated by the client's system;
tracking customers and their contact histories; pops customer
information based on data passed from the IVR via CTI; ability to
search for a customer with various criteria including an account
ID, first and last name, and phone number; if more than one search
match is found, a result screen is made available to allow the
selection of the appropriate customer account; creating an internal
key or account number for each new customer; providing ability to
track calls by DNIS and/or contact source; allowing for a
three-tiered category/product/sub-product relationship where
specific products are tied to a particular category and specific
sub-products are tied to particular products; allowing for a
two-tiered reason/sub-reason relationship where specific
sub-reasons are tied to a particular reason; allowing for the
dispositioning of calls to move them through the tracking process;
providing for a free form call comments field for CSR use; and
providing a listing of previous contacts made by a customer, with
the ability to have a read only view of the data from these
contacts. Moreover, a plurality of data feeds 69 can be forwarded
to other systems to perform processes such as fulfillment of
orders, data warehousing, and provisioning of products or services.
It should be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art that
a plurality of other data feeds could be within the scope of the
present invention based on the data received in contacts tracking
system 28.
Referring to FIGS. 1a and 6, contact information management system
includes a contact reporting system 30, including database 30a
associated therewith and in data flow communication with database
28a of tracking system 28. Contact reporting system 30 is
configured to receive contact information from tracking system 28
as will be described in more detail below. Tracking system 28 may
be programmed to automatically and periodically forward the contact
information to reporting system 30. Alternatively, reporting system
30 may be programmed to automatically and periodically pull the
contact information from the tracking system 28. In addition, as
shown in FIG. 6, contact center management system 32 may also
provide reporting system 30 with information or data regarding
calls to the contact center, the performance of agents, the hours
worked by agents, the scheduling of agents, and other suitable
information. These functions will be described in more detail
below.
One embodiment of reporting system 30 is a central data repository
for standard and customized reporting. In such an embodiment,
reporting system 30 can integrate contact information from a
plurality of systems, for example, but not limited to, tracking
system 28 and management system 32, and generate reports using the
contact information or other data from the various systems. It
preferably offers a standard set of statistical reports, for
example, but not limited to, Automatic Call Distributor (ACD), and
tracking system reports as well as the ability to create standard
or custom reports. These reports are preferably available to an
agent through a GUI application, which will be described in more
detail below, or to a client reporting system 67 which is coupled
to system 20 through a connection, such as the Internet 42.
Referring to FIG. 8a, there is shown an exemplary architecture for
reporting system 30 and tracking system 28 and their associated
databases 30a and 28a, respectively. As can be seen from FIG. 8a,
in an exemplary embodiment, database 28a preferably resides on a
server 802 and has a plurality of database records or instances
802a-802c associated therewith, which will be explained in more
detail below. Likewise, database 30a preferably resides on a server
805. In the exemplary embodiment, servers 802 and 805 are connected
via a network 806. A computer 803 is also preferably connected to
network 806 and servers 802 and 805. Network 806 can be a local
area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN) that utilizes
Transfer Connect Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Each of the
aforementioned components will be described in more detail
below.
An exemplary data structure, shown as table 801 and records
801a-801c, associated with database 28a is shown in FIG. 8b. Table
801 preferably comprises a plurality of contact information,
including, but not limited to the following: name and address of
the customer; e-mail and IP address of the customer; type of
contact; date and time of the contact; content of the contact
message; subject of the contact; type of assistance requested; and
the product that is the subject of the request. As has been
described above, a plurality of contacts from a plurality of
customer contact channels can be tied together or linked based on
the particular request or by the particular customer, or other
suitable information. As such, each of the contacts may represent
one to many related contacts as depicted by the plurality of
database records 801a-801c. The information in these tables or
databases are preferably configured to be stored in real-time on
server 802.
As noted above, tracking system 28 is configured to handle contact
information originating from a variety of sources and clients. For
a single database record or instance, such as 802a, the system can
have client 1 (CL1), client 2 (CL2) and other clients running in
the same database on server 802. Additionally, the system can
include dedicated instances, such as 802b, which can be configured
for a particular client. Moreover, as the system expands,
additional clients can be added either to instance 802a or
additional dedicated instances, shown as 802c, can be added.
Referring to FIG. 8a, a software program is included and preferably
resides' on computer 803 connected via network 806 to server 802
associated with tracking system 28 and database 28a and server 805
associated with reporting system 30 and database 30a. The software
program residing on computer 803 is preferably configured to
transfer the contact information or data residing on server 802 or
its associated databases to server 805 so that the contact data can
be reported to the plurality of clients associated with the system.
The software program preferably includes a scheduler that is
configured to initiate the data transfer program at predetermined
intervals, such as about every thirty minutes or about every hour.
Other transfer intervals, however, may be used.
An exemplary data structure, shown as table 804, associated with
database 30a is shown in FIG. 8c. Table 804 is preferably created
for storing the contact information after it is transferred to
server 805 in the method described above. It is preferred that
there exists a one-to-one or many-to-one relationship between the
record entries between table 801 on server 802 and table 804 on
server 805. Such correspondence is necessary to accommodate
transfer of the contact information in a simple and expedient
manner without requiring unnecessary reformatting of the data or
reprogramming of the software program residing on computer 803. As
noted above, the contact data has been previously formatted when it
was transferred into tracking system 28. By maintaining the records
in the tables congruent, all data may be passed from one table to
the other regardless of whether the client is using each piece of
data at the present time for reporting. This allows for flexibility
for future reporting characteristics as the needs of the client
change. Moreover, by having correspondence between the servers,
additional databases can be added to server 802 with the added
benefit of being able to offer new clients customized reporting
capabilities with minimal effort. It should be understood by one of
ordinary skill in the art, however, that the database architectures
can be configured in a plurality of ways while still maintaining
the preferred correspondence of data within databases.
Once the contact information is stored on server 805, this
information can be accessed by a plurality of clients or agents for
creating individualized or ad-hoc reports. In addition, reporting
system 30 preferably can offer a plurality of custom reports or
standard reports to the clients. All of this reporting can take
place without affecting the performance of tracking system 28
because the reporting system 30 is directed toward the database
residing on server 805 and not the database residing on server
802.
As noted above, it is preferred that all reporting information be
stored on server 805 after having been transferred from server 802
in view of the time required for generating reports. However, the
present invention is not limited to such an arrangement. Indeed, in
an alternative embodiment of the present invention, reporting
system 30 can be directed toward the database on server 802. In
this fashion, no data would have to be transferred between servers
802 and 805 although it still could be in the manner described
above. Such a configuration can be used, for instance, where
software programs used for transferring the contact information are
not available to properly read particular data or are not
compatible with certain databases.
As can be seen in FIG. 6, and as noted above, contact center
reporting system 30 may also receive data from another source 32
other than tracking system 28. Source 32 can include, but is not
limited to, the following: telephone switches, which transmit ACD
and call handling data directly from telephone switches;
transaction systems, which transmit contact history, sales and
customer contact data; and agent productivity systems, which
transmit timekeeping, financial, call quality, and work force
planning data. Accordingly, additional software programs running on
additional computers or, alternatively, additional software
programs running on computer 803 (FIG. 8a) may be required to
transfer this additional information to server 805 of reporting
system 30. As should be apparent to one having ordinary skill in
the art, it is preferred that this information also be in the
one-to-one correspondence described above with respect to servers
802 and 805.
In addition, reporting system 30 offers the following functionality
and advantages: GUI and browser based applications for running
reports; ability to run ad-hoc reports based on parameters defined
by client specific requirements; custom reporting; automated data
feeds and data integration so that manual input can be eliminated;
timely, concise, and accurate reporting; historical reporting so
that users can quickly access historical data and analyze trends;
multiple delivery methods, e.g., e-mail, file transfer protocol
(FTP), GUI, and Internet, so that users can choose how to receive
reports; data from multiple switches can be integrated so that call
statistics for multiple centers can be reported on together or
individually; user and data security so that specific reports are
available only to specific users; ability to create graphs and
charts so that users can view data in a graphical format; and
option to export data into a variety of file types so that the raw
data can be used for additional analysis.
Referring now to FIG. 9, there is shown an exemplary architecture
of an exemplary embodiment of reporting system 30 of the present
invention. An exemplary database 30a suitable for use in the
reporting system 30 is an Oracle.RTM. 8.x database, a trademark of
Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores, Calif. However, it should be
recognized that the database may be any suitable database. As noted
above, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
reporting system 30 can receive data feeds from a variety of
systems. For example, it may receive ACD and call handling data
from telephone switches 91. In addition, it may receive contact
history, sales, and customer contact data from transaction systems
92, and it may receive timekeeping, financial, call quality, and
work force planning data from agent productivity systems 93. A
client 95 may be connected to reporting system 30 via a LAN/WAN
connection 94. Alternatively, a client 96 can access reporting
system 30 through an Internet Service Provider 97 and Internet
connection 42. In addition, data can also be received via WWW
server 26 through a demilitarized zone (DMZ) network 98 and
firewall 99.
As noted above, the reporting system can preferably generate
standardized or custom reports. For example, a report can include
data from any or all of the following exemplary categories: (1)
Volume: ACD calls, flow-in calls, flow-out calls, dequeued calls,
calls offered, and calls answered; (2) Service level: average speed
of response, calls abandoned, average time to abandon, maximum
response delay, average queue time, percent answered, average
connect time, average time in voice/data network (VDN), and average
time in vector; (3) Agent handling: average talk time, average
agent call waiting time, average extension-out time, percent ACD
time, average positions staffed, and calls per position; (4) Call
routing: vector number, flow-in calls, flow-out calls, calls
answered in main, calls answered in backup, other calls connected,
calls forced busy, and calls forced disconnected; (5) Call source
description; (6) Total count of calls logged by call source; (7)
Comment type description; (8) Total count of comments captured by
comment type, which provides a summation of each of a particular
type of comment made by the customer; (9) Verbatims by comment
type; (10) Disposition description, which describes what steps were
taken in response to handling, for example, the customer question
or complaint; (11) Sub-disposition description, which can describe
those actions which were necessary in fulfilling the disposition of
the customer's contact; (12) Total count of calls logged by
disposition and subdisposition; (13) Category, product, reason, and
subreason descriptions, which can relate to the product and its
category and the reason and/or subreasons for the customer contact,
e.g., questions or complaints about a product; (14) Average talk
time for calls logged by category, product, reason, and subreason;
(15) Count of calls logged by category, product, reason, and
subreason; (16) Percent of calls logged by category, product,
reason, and subreason; (17) Chart of top 5 by category, product,
reason, and subreason; (18) Daily call statistics: date, service
level, number of CSRs on-line per day per shift, number of inbound
calls offered, number of inbound calls handled, inbound average
call length, inbound average total call length, average queue time,
longest queue time, number of abandoned calls, percent of abandoned
calls, average abandon time, number of outbound calls, outbound
average call length, summary of deviation from target, summary of
notable customer satisfaction issues or escalations, and summary of
competitive trends; (19) Daily order summary: total number of
orders, total order dollar amount, order dollar by SKU, number of
orders per product type, order conversion per product type, average
number of items per order, and average order size; (20)
Call/service/product type summary: total inbound number of calls
per product, total inbound number of calls per service type
(presales, post-sales, sales), total inbound number of calls per
call type (sales, return, product inquiry, referral), percent of
offered inbound calls by call types, average inbound talk time by
service types, average inbound talk time by product, average
inbound talk time by call types, and service level by service type
(when routing is implemented); (21) IVR statistics: number of
incoming calls logged, number of calls per IVR option, percentage
of calls per option, number of calls per suboption, percentage of
calls per suboption, total call minutes by option, breakdown of IVR
activity by half hour, number of calls transferred from other
entities, and percentage of calls transferred from other entities;
(22) Daily e-mail statistics: total number of e-mail messages
received, average age of e-mail waiting to be processed, average
elapsed response time, number of e-mail responses processed,
breakdown by type pre-sales, post-sales, escalation to client,
miscellaneous feedback, and status, breakdown by product, breakdown
by auto-answer vs. semi-custom vs. custom, average time to compose
response, and summary of deviation from service level; and (23)
Escalation summary: customer name, customer phone number,
escalation open date and time, escalation close date and time,
reason for escalation, resolution action, breakdown by product
type, total number escalated, and breakdown by escalation type.
Referring to FIG. 10, there is shown a computer screen shot of an
exemplary logon screen suitable for use in the present invention.
Such a logon screen preferably enables an agent to enter the
agent's user identification (User ID) 1002 and password 1004. If
the User ID 1002 and password are correct for the particular agent,
the agent will then be allowed to enter the system. If they are not
correct, the agent will be prompted to enter the information again.
In the exemplary embodiment, such a logon procedure allows the
agent to simultaneously log onto a plurality of subsystems. This
eliminates the need for the agent to go to each different subsystem
to log in. Such subsystems can include the agent time keeping
system which monitors an agent's time for reporting and other
functionalities. Another subsystem could include the automatic call
distributor (ACD) system which would notify the system that the
agent is "on-line" and ready to receive contacts from customers.
Additionally, an agent could be linked through the log on procedure
to the web site of a client or directly into a client's purchasing
system, for example. This would give the agent direct access to the
client's system thereby enabling the agent to search the client's
databases directly or perform other suitable procedures directly
within the client's system. It should be apparent to one of
ordinary skill in the art that various other systems could also be
accessed via the log on procedure described herein and would be
well within the scope of the present invention.
FIGS. 11 through 17 are computer screen shots of an exemplary
graphical user interface (GUI) suitable for use in the present
invention. FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary search screen 1100 that
can be used by an agent to search prior contact history information
as described above. Search screen 1100 provides a plurality of data
entry fields 1101 that allow an agent to enter information
regarding a customer, such as, contact ID 1102, first name 1104,
last name 1106, business name 1108, phone number 1110, zip code
1112, fax number 1114, e-mail address 1116, or other additional
identifying information 1118. A New Contact button 1120 is provided
and, if selected by the agent, causes a screen similar to the one
shown in FIG. 12 (see below) to be displayed on the agent's
computer screen. A Search button 1122 is also provided and, if
selected by the agent, causes a search to be performed based on the
criteria entered into data entry fields 1101 of search screen 1100.
Once a search is performed, and if there are any matching records,
an information field 1124 displays corresponding information about
the customers having matching information to that entered by the
agent. By selecting one of the customers listed in information
field 1124 by, for example, double-clicking on the customer name
using a mouse or other suitable device, a screen similar to the
screen shown in FIG. 12 is displayed on the agent's screen with the
information from the selected customer entered into the appropriate
fields (see FIG. 12 below).
FIG. 12 illustrates a screen that identifies a particular customer
by providing a plurality of information to the agent, including,
but not limited to, the following: DNIS# 1202; AD Code 1204; call
source 1206; first name 1104; last name 1106; business name 1108;
address 1208; city 1210; state 1212; zip code 1112; phone number
1110; fax number 1114; e-mail address 1116; or additional
identifying information 1118. In addition, a field 1230 is provided
to indicate the customer's preference regarding whether they wish
to be contacted by an agent.
FIG. 13 illustrates a screen that enables the agent to update
tracking database 28a with information about the category 1302,
product 1304, sub product 1306, reason 1308, sub reason 1310, or
other additional information 1312 about a particular customer
contact. As can be seen in FIG. 13, the DNIS# 1202, AD Code 1204,
and call source 1206 are also provided for quick reference to the
particular contact or customer.
FIG. 14 illustrates a screen that allows the agent to update
tracking database 28a with information about the disposition 1402,
subdisposition 1404, or other comments 1406 about a contact. Again,
the DNIS# 1202, AD Code 1204, and call source 1206 are provided for
quick reference to the particular contact or customer.
The exemplary screen of FIG. 15 preferably provides a contact
history area 1502 showing the contact history of a particular
customer. In FIG. 15, contact history area 1502 is referred to as
call history area 1502 for a particular customer, but it should be
understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that a plurality of
information could be included in the contact history including, but
not limited to, contacts emanating from e-mail, phone, the Internet
and hard copy correspondence.
FIG. 16 illustrates a screen that enables an agent to select a
particular type of contact detail information 1602, or call detail
information as explicitly shown in FIG. 16, in tracking database
28a. It should be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art
that such contact information can comprise data gathered from
contacts from e-mail, phone, the Internet, and hard copy
correspondence.
FIG. 17 is an exemplary screen showing telephone call detail
information 1702 about a particular contact. It should be apparent
to one of ordinary skill in the art that a plurality of information
could be illustrated on a screen similar to that shown in FIG. 17
and such a screen could include information obtained from other
contacts, such as e-mail; the Internet, or hard copy
correspondence.
A computer system capable of carrying out the functionality
described herein is shown in more detail in FIG. 18. Computer
system 1800 includes one or more processors, such as processor
1804. Processor 1804 is connected to a communication bus 1806.
Various software embodiments are described in terms of this
exemplary computer system. After reading this description, it will
become apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art how to
implement the invention using other computer systems and/or
computer architectures.
Computer system 1800 also includes a main memory 1808, preferably
random access memory (RAM), and can also include a secondary memory
1810. Secondary memory 1810 can include, for example, a hard disk
drive 1812 and/or a removable storage drive 1814, representing a
floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive,
etc. Removable storage drive 1814 reads from and/or writes to a
removable storage unit 1818 in a well known manner. Removable
storage unit 1818, represents a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical
disk, etc. which is read by and written to by removable storage
drive 1814. As will be appreciated, removable storage unit 1818
includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein
computer software and/or data.
In alternative embodiments, secondary memory 1810 may include other
similar means for allowing computer programs or other instructions
to be loaded into computer system 1800. Such means can include, for
example, a removable storage unit 1822 and an interface 1820.
Examples of such can include a program cartridge and cartridge
interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable
memory chip (such as an EPROM, or PROM) and associated socket, and
other removable storage units 1822 and interfaces 1820 which allow
software and data to be transferred from removable storage unit
1822 to computer system 1800.
Computer system 1800 can also include a communications interface
1824. Communications interface 1824 allows software and data to be
transferred between computer system 1800 and external devices.
Examples of communications interface 1824 can include a modem, a
network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communications
port, a PCMCIA slot and card, etc. Software and data transferred
via communications interface 1824 are in the form of signals 1826
that can be electronic, electromagnetic, optical or other signals
capable of being received by communications interface 1824. Signals
1826 are provided to communications interface via a channel 1828.
Channel 1828 carries signals 1826 and can be implemented using wire
or cable, fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, an RF
link and other communications channels.
In this document, the terms "computer program medium" and "computer
usable medium" are used to generally refer to media such as
removable storage device 1818, a hard disk installed in hard disk
drive 1812, and signals 1826. These computer program products are
means for providing software to computer system 1800.
Computer programs (also called computer control logic) are stored
in main memory 1808 and/or secondary memory 1810. Computer programs
can also be received via communications interface 1824. Such
computer programs, when executed, enable computer system 1800 to
perform the features of the present invention as discussed herein.
In particular, the computer programs, when executed, enable
processor 1804 to perform the features of the present invention.
Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of
computer system 1800.
In an embodiment where the invention is implemented using software,
the software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded
into computer system 1800 using removable storage drive 1814, hard
drive 1812 or communications interface 1824. The control logic
(software), when executed by processor 1804, causes processor 1804
to perform the functions of the invention as described herein.
In another embodiment, the invention is implemented primarily in
hardware using, for example, hardware components such as
application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Implementation of
such a hardware state machine so as to perform the functions
described herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the
relevant art(s). In yet another embodiment, the invention is
implemented using a combination of both hardware and software.
Referring to FIG. 19, there is shown an exemplary graphical user
interface 1900 which is preferably included as part of a computer
program residing on agent computer 50. Graphical user interface
1900 is configured to enable the agent to control agent telephone
52 through graphical user interface 1900. Such a graphical user
interface 1900 can be referred to as a "Softphone" or "Soft Phone"
as is known to one of ordinary skill in the art. In the exemplary
graphical user interface 1900 shown in FIG. 19, an agent can
perform a plurality of tasks directly from agent computer or
terminal 50 without the need to perform the tasks via a separate
agent telephone 52.
To this end, graphical user interface 1900 includes a plurality of
function keys 1903 which enable the agent to perform a variety of
functions, such as place a call on hold, mute the call, send the
call to another agent or other system, or end the call. Moreover, a
plurality of other features, including, but not limited to,
VoiceMail, which enables the agent to set up and initialize a voice
mail feature, PhoneBook, which enables the agent to link to an
electronic phone book, Setup, which enables the agent to
personalize the graphical user interface 1900, and CallerId, which
enables the agent to choose to enable a callerid functionality.
Various other features may also be included in graphical user
interface 1900, such as answer, greet, and other file content
management features, which are well within the knowledge of one of
ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, a window 1905 is provided
which shows, for example, the agent information about the customer,
such as, but not limited to, the ANI or DNIS number. It should be
understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that additional
communication or data management features could be added to
graphical user interface 1900 and would be well within the skill of
one having ordinary skill in the art.
The preferred embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to be
exhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention.
The preferred embodiments were chosen and described in order to
explain the principles of the present invention so that others
skilled in the art may practice the invention. Having shown and
described preferred embodiments of the present invention, those
skilled in the art will realize that many variations and
modifications may be made to affect the described invention. Many
of those variations and modifications will provide the same result
and fall within the spirit of the claimed invention. It is the
intention, therefore, to limit the invention only as indicated by
the scope of the claims.
* * * * *
References